This invention relates to multiple camera video production, and more specifically to a method and system for visually signaling the selection of a specific television or video camera source during the live editing of multiple camera sources.
Traditional multiple camera video production systems include analog cameras connected to a video switcher via multiple conductor camera cable. This traditional production system includes an additional fundamental feature, the xe2x80x9ctally lightxe2x80x9d system. The tally light system tells both the individual camera operators and any on-camera talent being photographed which camera is xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9clive.xe2x80x9d
The signals for the tally light feature are sent from the switcher to the cameras down a separate electrical wire contained within the multiple conductor camera cables. The tally light information derived from these tally signals follows exactly the sequence of cameras selected by the person pressing the switch, which selects the xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d camera. The tally signals selectively activate lights in both the camera viewfinder for the camera operator to become aware of when their particular camera is selected and in front of the camera so that talent being photographed will know which camera has been selected and is photographing the scene at that very moment.
A new single screen live video editor was described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/081,543, filed Feb. 20, 2002, entitled xe2x80x9cPORTABLE SYSTEM FOR LIVE TELEVISION SIGNAL EDITING.xe2x80x9d by Edmond Louis Dudkowski. The video editor described in this patent application is a xe2x80x9cplug and playxe2x80x9d system that accepts both analog and digital video input signals from a plurality of single video camera shooting equipment (xe2x80x9ccamcordersxe2x80x9d), both xe2x80x9cprosumerxe2x80x9d (professional level) and consumer. The system then allows a user to use a switcher to edit these input signals, and the system then enables each input signal, as well as a preview and a program signal, to be simultaneously viewed on a single display monitor.
Just as switchers in traditional multiple camera video production systems, the switcher in this new system generates tally signals. However, the traditional tally light system will not work when camcorders are used as the video input source. Specifically, when camcorders are used as an input source to this new live video editor, multiple conductor cable is unnecessary because only video signals are available from the cameras. The elimination of the multiple conductor camera cable between the camera and the switcher also eliminates the tally light system.
What is needed is a system for visually showing camera operators when their signal is xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d and for showing on-camera talent which camera is photographing them at any given moment, without the need for multiple conductor camera cable to be returned to the camera.
The present invention is directed at addressing the above-mentioned shortcomings, disadvantages and problems of the prior art. The present invention describes a system for camera selection tallying for multiple camera video production comprising: an adaptor for receiving a plurality of tally signals generated in a switcher, each said tally signal generated in response to a given camera being selected, said adaptor further configured for converting each said received tally signal into an encoded signal having data that identifies an address that corresponds to the selected camera; a tally system for decoding each said encoded signal to retrieve the address data and for displaying at least one visual indicator associated with said address data that identifies the corresponding camera that was selected; and a power console coupled between said adaptor and said tally system for coupling each said encoded signal from said adaptor to said tally system.
The adapter is further configured to convert each tally signal into a corresponding sub-audible CTCSS tone and further to encode the CTCSS tone with data that identifies a CTCSS code address that corresponds to the selected camera. The power console provides a power supply source and has at least two frequency channels, wherein at least one channel has an intercom line for two-way communication between a director and a plurality of camera operators. The power console provides power to the adapter and is configured to forward the encoded sub-audible CTCSS tone through the intercom line to each of a plurality of belt-packs in the tally system, each belt-pack being connected in parallel to the power console and each having a dipswitch for setting the belt-pack to a given CTCSS code address corresponding to a given camera. Each belt-pack is further configured to receive the encoded sub-audible CTCSS tone from the intercom line, separate the encoded data from the sub-audible CTCSS tone, compare the retrieved data to the belt-pack""s CTCSS code (or xe2x80x9cdipswitchxe2x80x9d) address, and illuminate a series of light emitting diodes (xe2x80x9cLEDsxe2x80x9d) connected to the belt-pack if the retrieved data matches the CTCSS code address.
The present invention also describes a method for camera selection tallying for multiple camera video production comprising: (a) causing a tally signal to be received into an adaptor, said tally signal generated in response to a given camera being selected; (b) causing said tally signal to be converted by said adaptor into an encoded signal having data that identifies an address that corresponds to the selected camera; (c) causing said tally signal to be coupled from said adaptor to a tally system using a power console; (d) causing said encoded signal to be decoded to retrieve the address data; and (e) causing a visual indicator associated with said address data to be displayed for identifying the corresponding camera that was selected and repeating steps (a)-(e) until said video production has ceased.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tally light system without the need for multiple conductor cable. A key advantage of the present invention is that a tally light system can be utilized with a multiple camera video production system that uses prosumer and consumer camcorders, where a tally light system would not otherwise exist.